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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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C.2 ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENT, SAFETY, AND HEALTH

C.2.1 LLNL Organizations and Responsibilities

Each Associate Director and Program Leader at LLNL is responsible for ensuring that work activities are conducted in a manner that produces high quality results, preserves environmental quality, and protects the health and safety of the workers and the public. LLNL has enhanced oversight of environment, safety, and health activities. A new position of Deputy Director has been established; a principal responsibility of this position is to oversee management of environment, safety and health, including the development of the Laboratory Self-Assessment Program, independent oversight, and environment, safety, and health supporting organizations.

In January 1990, the Laboratory Director appointed an Environment, Safety, and Health (ES&H) Council which is composed of nine Associate Directors and is chaired by the Deputy Director. This council reviews, formulates and recommends environment, safety, and health policy for LLNL to the Director and reviews key environment, safety, and health issues. The council also reviews operating procedures and ensures that LLNL environment, safety, and health policies are implemented. Also, the Laboratory Director has made organizational changes to strengthen environment, safety, and health by line management.

The Assurance Review Office assists the Deputy Director by performing an independent evaluation to assure that the LLNL environment, safety, and health policies and their implementation are consistent with both Laboratory requirements and DOE orders. The Assurance Review Office conducts independent assessments and appraisals, performs trend analyses, and evaluates and verifies the final results achieved.

The Laboratory Director has assigned full responsibility for environment, safety, and health activities to the line Associate Directors and Program Leaders, who are accountable for these activities in their areas. Individual programs establish goals, procedures, training, and other measures, as required. Programmatic management and staff plan and commit the necessary resources at the beginning of each fiscal year. Each Associate Director has appointed an Assurance Manager to monitor the implementation of environment, safety, and health policy activities within the directorate. These Assurance Managers assist the Associate Directors in developing plans and procedures which provide assurance that all directorate activities conform with LLNL environment, safety, and health policy.

The Assurance Managers, along with other specialized experts, make up the ES&H Working Group. The ES&H Working Group assists the ES&H Council in carrying out its charter. The group is composed of the Assurance Manager from each directorate and the heads of the Environmental Protection, Hazards Control, and Health Services departments and the Quality Assurance Office. The activities include responding to requests for reviews and studies from the ES&H Council; addressing environment, safety, and health issues raised by the programs; and preparing recommendations for consideration by the ES&H Council. The Working Group also brings environment, safety, and health issues to the attention of the ES&H Council with recommendations for policy development or change.

The Associate Director for Plant Operations is responsible for providing the necessary expertise to assist the Associate Directors in implementing the LLNL environment, safety, and health. Individual programs establish goals, procedures, training, and other requirements, as necessary. Programmatic management and staff plan and commit the resources at the beginning of each fiscal year. The environment, safety, and health support organizations provide a check and balance mechanism to assure that requirements are being met by line management, and if necessary inform management of concerns. The Associate Director for Plant Operations provides this expertise through the following LLNL environment, safety, and health organizations:

  • Hazards Control Department
  • Environmental Protection Department
  • Health Services Department
  • Quality Assurance Office

Assistance to the Associate Directors includes providing environment, safety, and health technical support as requested; guidance for implementation of DOE orders and regulations; conducting environment, safety, and health training classes; and reviewing and providing technical input for all safety procedures. In addition, these organizations are responsible for developing a uniform approach and consistent guidance for environment, safety, and health; identifying issues to be reviewed by the ES&H Working Group and approved by the ES&H Council; and for ensuring Laboratory-wide communication of the LLNL environment, safety, and health policy and guidance. Environment, safety, and health organizations under the Associate Director for Plant Operations can request employees to stop work on any operation evaluated as being imminently dangerous.


A NAME=7524>C.2.1.1 Organization of the Hazards Control Department

The head of the Hazards Control Department reports to the Associate Director for Plant Operations, who is responsible for providing assistance to line managers for both the occupational health and safety and the environmental protection programs at LLNL. The Hazards Control Department provides assistance to line managers for both radiological and nonradiological occupational safety (see Figure C-2) (LLNL, 1991h).

The Hazards Control Department comprises five divisions:

  • The Health and Safety Division has the primary responsibility of assisting line managers in determining that regulations, DOE orders, and codes have been implemented, and for recommending guidelines and monitoring overall protection of workers with respect to radiation exposures, industrial hygiene, and industrial safety.
  • The Operational Safety Division provides environment, safety, and health services to the Laboratory using six ES & H teams. The teams are also responsible for monitoring and evaluating such activities. Each team is organized in a matrix manner with health and safety technicians supplied by the Operational Safety Division, and specialized support staff from the Health and Safety Division and the Environmental Protection Department. A seventh team conducts routine OSHA and environmental inspections to assess compliance with occupational safety and health codes throughout the site.
  • The Fire Safety Division provides fire prevention and training, fire protection and engineering, and responds to emergency situations.
  • The Safety Services Division provides support in quality assurance, Laboratory support, and information services.
  • The Special Projects Division undertakes special studies of interest to the Hazards Control Department such as basic and applied research on safety related sciences. The division serves as a technical resource for DOE and other organizations and participates in development of standards.

C.2.1.2 Organization of the Environmental Protection Department, LLNL

The Environmental Protection Department is responsible for assisting the line managers in protecting the environment from operations at LLNL. The department is organized into four divisions with specified responsibilities (see Figure C-2):

  • Environmental Surveillance Division
  • Environmental Restoration Division
  • Hazardous Waste Management Division (see Appendix B)
  • Operations and Regulatory Affairs Division

The Environmental Surveillance Division conducts the environmental monitoring program, assesses the health and environmental risks for both radioactive and nonradioactive materials released to the environment from operations at LLNL, and prepares reports of those impacts. The Environmental Restoration Division evaluates the need for cleanup of sites contaminated by prior operations, and designs and implements restoration activities. The Hazardous Waste Management Division operates the hazardous waste management systems for LLNL. The Operations and Regulatory Affairs Division oversees environmental permitting and helps LLNL comply with environmental laws and regulations. The Operations and Regulatory Affairs Division also provides emergency response and reporting.


C.2.1.3 Health Services Department

The Health Services Department provides an occupational health program that meets regulatory requirements and professional standards to assist in providing a safe and healthful work environment. The Health Services Department:

  • Performs examinations to ensure that applicants and employees are suited to their work.
  • Provides emergency treatment and limited medical care for illnesses and injuries.
  • Provides training and general health education.
  • Provides Employee Assistance Program.

C.2.2 SNL, Livermore Organizations and Responsibilities

Each line manager at SNL, Livermore is responsible for ensuring that work activities in his or her area of responsibility are conducted in a manner that protects the health and safety of workers and members of the public.

A Vice Presidential environment, safety, and health council has been established and chaired by the Vice President, who is the SNL, Livermore site manager. The members of the council include the director of each of the line directorates, the manager of the Center for Environment, Safety, and Health and Facilities Management, and the five ES&H coordinators (staff members who have been appointed to assist line organization directors in environment, safety, and health management). SNL, Livermore has organized the Center for Environment, Safety, and Health and Facilities Management to enhance oversight of its environment, safety, and health activities. SNL, Livermore has also established a Quality Assurance Office under the Center for Environment, Safety, and Health and Facilities Management.


C.2.2.1 Organization of the Center for Environment, Safety, and Health and Facilities Management

The Center for Environment, Safety, and Health and Facilities Management of SNL, Livermore is organized to assist the line managers in fulfilling environment, safety, and health responsibilities. It oversees three departments: the Health Protection Department, the Environmental Protection Department, and the Safety Programs Department (see Figure C-3).

The Health Protection Department provides support to line management in the areas of industrial hygiene, including workplace monitoring, health physics, and emergency preparedness. The Environmental Protection Department is responsible for monitoring and assessing the impact of Sandia's operations on the public and the environment; environmental permitting, evaluating contaminated sites, and designing and implementing appropriate remediation activities. Releases to the air as well as the sanitary sewer of both radioactive and nonradioactive material are monitored by this organization. This organization is also responsible for the preparation and review of documentation required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Assisting line management in providing a safe working environment is the responsibility of the Safety Programs Department. This division provides guidance and support in the areas of construction, electrical, and pressure safety; OSHA and Cal OSHA standards; fire protection; and audit tracking and reporting.


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